doiSerbia

Leaf structural adaptations of two Limonium miller (Plumbaginales, Plumbaginaceae) taxa

Zorić Lana N. (Prirodno-matematički fakultet, Departman za biologiju i ekologiju, Novi Sad)
Anačkov Goran T. (Prirodno-matematički fakultet, Departman za biologiju i ekologiju, Novi Sad)
Karanović Dunja S. (Prirodno-matematički fakultet, Departman za biologiju i ekologiju, Novi Sad)
Luković Jadranka Ž. (Prirodno-matematički fakultet, Departman za biologiju i ekologiju, Novi Sad)

Limonium gmelinii (Willd.) O. Kuntze 1891 subsp. hungaricum (Klokov) Soó is Pannonian endemic subspecies that inhabits continental halobiomes, while Limonium anfractum (Salmon) Salmon 1924 is one of the indicators of halophyte vegetation of marine rocks and its distribution is restricted to the southern parts of Mediterranean Sea coast. In this work, micromorphological and anatomical characters of leaves of these two Limonium taxa were analyzed, in order to examine their adaptations to specific environmental conditions on saline habitats. The results showed that both taxa exhibited strong xeromorphic adaptations that reflected in flat cell walls of epidermal cells, thick cuticle, high palisade/spongy tissue ratio, high index of palisade cells, the presence of sclereid idioblasts in leaf mesophyll and mechanical tissue by phloem and xylem. Both taxa are crynohalophytes and have salt glands on adaxial and abaxial epidermis for excretion of surplus salt. Relatively high dimensions of mesophyll cells, absence of non-glandular hairs and unprotected stomata slightly increased above the level of epidermal cells, are also adaptations to increased salinity.

Keywords: adaptations, anatomy, epidermis, halophytes, leaf, salt glands

Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173002